Janet Paraskeva
Encyclopedia
The Rt Hon. Dame Janet Paraskeva DBE
(born 28 May 1946, Newport
, Monmouthshire
, Wales
) is a British
government official.
She was appointed as the First Civil Service Commissioner
on 1 January 2006. On 15 November 2007 Paraskeva was announced by Peter Hain
, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as first Chair of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. Her appointment, which will last four years, took effect on 19 November 2007.
Paraskeva began her career as a science and mathematics teacher in 1967. After graduating from the Open University
in 1983 with a social sciences degree, Paraskeva joined HM Inspector of Schools
where she served until 1988.
She has served as chief executive at the Law Society's Council and was Director for England of the National Lottery Charities Board as well as being the force being setting up and running the England operation, awarding more than £1.5bn to voluntary organisations. Paraskeva has also served as a magistrate and as a member of the Youth Justice Board
.
She is affiliated with ChildLine
, Ofsted
and the British Youth Council. Since 2000, she has been a trustee of the civic group Common Purpose
.
On 5 September 2005, she was appointed to the board of Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency
as a non-executive director. In February 2006, Olympics
Minister Tessa Jowell
appointed Janet Paraskeva as head of the new Olympic Lottery Distributor
(OLD), to serve in a four year term. She will be joined by other board members, who have not been appointed yet. The OLD came into existence in July 2005, following London's success in being selected as the city to host the 2012 Summer Olympics
. The body's key role will be to ensure proper, timely and effective distribution of Lottery money and to fund the provision of facilities, services and functions required for the staging of the London
2012 Summer Olympics
and Paralympic Games
.
On 6 July 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron
announced that Paraskeva would be one of three members of an inquiry to determine whether British intelligence officers were complicit in the torture of detainees, including those from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp or subject to rendition flights. Paraskeva joined the Privy Council
to permit easier access to secret information.
Paraskeva has been a strong advocate for gay and lesbian rights in the United Kingdom
. She has stated her intention, under the Civil Partnership Act 2004
, to enter into a civil partnership with her partner of more than a decade, whom she will only refer to as 'Mary'. Paraskeva has two children from her first marriage.
In 2006, Paraskeva, along with numerous other Greek Cypriots
, was featured in a book by Kyriakos Tsioupras http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/display.var.685475.0.its_all_greek_to_them.php called It's all Greek to them focussing on Cypriots
who have had substantial influence within their communities.
In 1978, she was awarded the Robert Schuman Silver Medal
for European Unity.
Paraskeva was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 28 May 1946, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government official.
She was appointed as the First Civil Service Commissioner
First Civil Service Commissioner
The First Civil Service Commissioner heads the Office of Civil Service Commissioners, which ensures that the Civil Service in the United Kingdom is effective and impartial and that appointments are made on merit, and hears appeals under the Civil Service Code....
on 1 January 2006. On 15 November 2007 Paraskeva was announced by Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as first Chair of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission. Her appointment, which will last four years, took effect on 19 November 2007.
Paraskeva began her career as a science and mathematics teacher in 1967. After graduating from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
in 1983 with a social sciences degree, Paraskeva joined HM Inspector of Schools
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for the inspection of public and independent, primary and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges, community learning, Local Authority Education Departments and teacher...
where she served until 1988.
She has served as chief executive at the Law Society's Council and was Director for England of the National Lottery Charities Board as well as being the force being setting up and running the England operation, awarding more than £1.5bn to voluntary organisations. Paraskeva has also served as a magistrate and as a member of the Youth Justice Board
Youth Justice Board
The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is an executive non-departmental public body, funded by and reporting to the Ministry of Justice and Department for Education and Skills...
.
She is affiliated with ChildLine
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
, Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
and the British Youth Council. Since 2000, she has been a trustee of the civic group Common Purpose
Common Purpose UK
Common Purpose UK is a British charity that runs leadership development programmes across the UK.Founded in 1989 by its current Chief Executive, Julia Middleton, its aim is to improve the way organisations and society work together by developing all kinds of leaders through a programme of diverse...
.
On 5 September 2005, she was appointed to the board of Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency
Serious Organised Crime Agency
The Serious Organised Crime Agency is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom under Home Office sponsorship...
as a non-executive director. In February 2006, Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Minister Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. Formerly a member of both the Blair and Brown Cabinets, she is currently the Shadow Minister for the Olympics and Shadow Minister for London.-Early life:Tessa Jane...
appointed Janet Paraskeva as head of the new Olympic Lottery Distributor
Olympic Lottery Distributor
The Olympic Lottery Distributor is a Non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up by Parliament to use money raised by the National Lottery to fund the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012....
(OLD), to serve in a four year term. She will be joined by other board members, who have not been appointed yet. The OLD came into existence in July 2005, following London's success in being selected as the city to host the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. The body's key role will be to ensure proper, timely and effective distribution of Lottery money and to fund the provision of facilities, services and functions required for the staging of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
and Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
.
On 6 July 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
announced that Paraskeva would be one of three members of an inquiry to determine whether British intelligence officers were complicit in the torture of detainees, including those from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp or subject to rendition flights. Paraskeva joined the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
to permit easier access to secret information.
Paraskeva has been a strong advocate for gay and lesbian rights in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. She has stated her intention, under the Civil Partnership Act 2004
Civil Partnership Act 2004
The Civil Partnership Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Bill for this Act was introduced by the Labour government and supported by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition. The Act grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom with rights and...
, to enter into a civil partnership with her partner of more than a decade, whom she will only refer to as 'Mary'. Paraskeva has two children from her first marriage.
In 2006, Paraskeva, along with numerous other Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
, was featured in a book by Kyriakos Tsioupras http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/display.var.685475.0.its_all_greek_to_them.php called It's all Greek to them focussing on Cypriots
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
who have had substantial influence within their communities.
In 1978, she was awarded the Robert Schuman Silver Medal
Robert Schuman Prize
The Robert Schuman Prize for European unity was a prize awarded annually by the Hamburg Alfred Toepfer Foundation, in memory of former French Prime Minister, Robert Schuman. The award, first given in 1966, was discontinued in 2000....
for European Unity.
Paraskeva was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.